


since the world began

by aelisheva



Category: Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, Hadestown - Mitchell, The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: both klaus and ben rule the underworld here but, hades and persephone au!, klaus is hades dave is perse., unlike in hadestown these two actually have a happy end here don't worry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-09
Updated: 2019-06-09
Packaged: 2020-04-23 11:55:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19150543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aelisheva/pseuds/aelisheva
Summary: He was surrounded by death. He lived in it. He breathed it in. He conducted it -- but only in the way that a metal rod conducts lightning. If it wasn’t for his brother by his side, there was no way he could’ve ruled them all alone.





	since the world began

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Summer Of Seven prompt "Persephone."

He was surrounded by death. He lived in it. He breathed it in. He conducted it -- but only in the way that a metal rod conducts lightning. If it wasn’t for his brother by his side, there was no way he could’ve ruled them all alone.

 

Spirits only listen to a half-dead ruler if he’s endorsed by another, (better,) fully dead ruler.

 

But his brother did not belong down there with him. And his brother did not belong in the seas, either, even as a living man  -- he’d be surrounded by tentacled things that would only remind him of the horror he was cursed with at birth. Yes, his brother belonged in the land of the living, but on _ land,  _ not in the ocean.

 

So that is where the half-dead ruler began his search, at his brother's request. The perfect patch of land, the perfect orchard of fruit, even a loved one for his brother to share his life with. Anything that would bring blood back to his brother’s veins.

 

Unfortunately, his own face flushed first. 

 

He got sidetracked. The future sole ruler of the dead does not get sidetracked. It shows weakness and lack of decorum as a ruler.

 

Besides, who would even want to talk to _him?_

 

Not a human, no matter how free he looked laughing in his mother’s orchard. And he should not have stopped to talk to this human. Or shake his hand. (The human didn't even flinch at how cold his hand was.) Or find out that he was picking apples for his family for them to dip in honey at the coming fall harvest.

 

_ But it’s still summer, _ the ruler (should not have) said. (Why did he open his mouth? All of the ghosts can hear him, but they only look his way to laugh at his jokes. Why did he think he could rule them all, again? They only see him as a sickly jester.)

 

The man with the sun on his shoulders grinned at him, but unlike the ghosts, he also looked him in the eyes. He winked.  _ One can never be too prepared,  _ the man replied.  _ Besides, we have trees that bear fruit at different parts of the year, in case we do run out.  _ He looks down.  _ Did you want to see? _

 

_ Of course!  _ The ruler of the dead was not supposed to walk around with humans, but then again, he was the ruler now. He could kill all the rules he wanted.

 

And maybe his brother could live next to the two of them.

**Author's Note:**

> the title is from the hadestown song "how long?" other lyrical references are from the song "epic iii."
> 
> and yes, the apples and honey are for rosh hashanah. ;) turns out, there were a lot of jewish people living in ancient greece!


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